Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE - MOTIVATION FOR SUCCESS - Best Inspirational Speeches

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

An exploration of Daniel Kahneman and Thinking, Fast and Slow, and why what you focus on quietly becomes your reality. This episode breaks down how your fast, automatic thoughts shape perception, behavior, and outcomes, and how learning to slow down your thinking gives you back control over your direction, decisions, and life trajectory.More from Eddie Pinero:Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletterYour World Within Podcast: https://yourworldwithin.libsyn.com/Stream these tracks on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2BLf6pBInstagram - @your_world_within and @IamEddiePineroTikTok - your_world_withinFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/YourworldwithinTwitter - https://www.twitter.com/IamEddiePineroBusiness Inquiries - http://www.yourworldwithin.com/contact#liveinspired #yourworldwithin #motivation

Nothing in life is as important as you think it is while you are thinking about it. This was written by the author of Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman. And what he's referring to is a cognitive bias known as the focusing illusion. Pretty basic idea means that we elevate the importance of things that we think about while ignoring other aspects of our lives. By thinking about something, it suddenly matters. matters more to us. And while it's easy to interpret this disconnect between our thoughts and reality is alarming,

there's also an opportunity here to use this to our advantage, right, to further become the captain of your ship. I've heard my entire life, think positive thoughts. We all have. But there's value in understanding why that's true, right? Otherwise, it just feels like a meaningless ritual. So Conaman talks about a study with college students where they were asked about their overall level of happiness and then they were asked about their dating lives. And the answers they gave, there was no correlation between the two answers.

But when the order of the questions were switched, when the students were asked about their dating lives first and then their overall happiness, the correlation between the two and the two and the students were asked. answer increased. The answer they gave about their overall happiness mirrored however they said their dating lives were, at least to a much greater extent. Why? Well, because dating became the variable or the framework that they used to measure their overall happiness, even though perhaps they didn't know it, right? But by focusing on it, it became more relevant. It bled into other aspects of life, right? You get what you focus on. It's that simple. And the truth is, as I mentioned earlier, nothing is as important as we think it is. Everything is magnified, kind of blown out of proportion in our minds. So the question is, why not use that as an advantage? Why not let that become our

strength, realizing that if simply thinking about something can change the trajectory of how we view the world, it can be transformative to simply minimize the bad thoughts and focus on good ones. Have you ever thought about how delicate the line we walk between not caring enough and caring too much? For example, to feel like existence is pointless. Everything's bad. There's no reason to try. that makes it hard to get off the couch, like lacking that purpose. But then on the entire other end of the spectrum, to feel like life is riding on every step,

to feel like we're not allowed the flexibility or leeway to make mistakes, life matters too much, that also severely limits how we live, just in a different way. And so I want to explain, how do we find that middle ground? How do we find that picture in our heads that puts us right where we need to be? The idea that, of course, today is important.

Life is a beautiful opportunity to extract meaning from the world around you, to build something that matters. But it's also no checklist. It's no standardized test. No, it's more of a game. We shouldn't be walking around with the weight of the world on our shoulders because that doesn't help anyone. Let's face it, life is just not all that serious. As a good friend of mine, Steve always says to me, you know, we are sacks of meat on a rock floating through an infinite, ever-expanding universe and nothing matters.

I've heard him say that a million times, right? Let's go. Let's do it. Nothing matters. Let's make it happen. And I'm 100% get it. It's a check against the idea that the world will collapse if we screw up. That if we drop the ball, it's over. Kind of pointing to the fact that the only way to truly lose in life is to look back and realize we were too scared to live. And so in that context, absolutely, I'm on the nothing matters bandwagon. But here's the deal about this video or podcast episode,

whoever you're consuming it. In a perfect world, it's a buffet, not a menu. It's an opportunity for you to think, to reflect, to pick and choose the pieces here that will help move you along. Because after all, you know, we're all walking different paths. So how could one person present a one-size-fits-all solution to anything? No, the goal is to understand the framework by which we operate. To understand that the thoughts we think,

have a monumental impact on how we live. And so if you find yourself on the uninspired side of things, know that there's not a problem with you. You just haven't found a path that lights you up. You are perhaps focusing on the wrong things, right? Not leaving space for the right ones. And if you find yourself constantly smothered by the weight of your own expectations, if every little step, decision, or movement matters too much,

know that you are perhaps creating adversaries that don't exist, that you are right where you need to be, but you have to let yourself live, experience life. You know, one of the most beautiful Victor Franco quotes I've ever heard. He says, ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of life is, but rather he must recognize that it is, he who is asked there is so much power packed into this idea it's like when you look around and see the outside world backing you into a corner dictating to you how things should be

remember that you don't take orders from the external world you create the external world when all you see is negative. When all you feel are reasons to turn back, when the good in life is hiding away, reach out and find the positive. The one thing that can pick you up and carry you forward. And look, I'm not advocating that we live in this state of delusion. I'm not saying close your eyes,

cover your ears, and pretend everything's great. I'm saying every day, every situation provides at least one thing you need to be closer to where you want to be. And it just so happens that we're not always inclined to see that one thing, that solution. It just so happens that we need to become aware to remind ourselves. So this is your reminder to look for it. Your reminder to focus on the things that lift you up. Breathe life into you, not the things that keep you down. And so here's to finding that sweet spot, right?

Walking the line between Victor Frankel's meaning starts with you. And my old pal Steve's mantra, nothing matters. So go live your life. This is not a race. If you're not being graded on the outcome here, you're giving yourself permission to experience that jolt you get when you open your eyes as the sun comes up each morning, knowing that how you're about to spend your time will be a product of the game you designed. A game in which, yes, you'll feel lost from time to time. You'll lose that North Star every so often. You'll question the journey you're on.

But guess what? When you take responsibility for the circumstance, you also empower yourself to right the ship. You're at the wheel playing the game of life as it was meant to be played on your charge. If it does not serve you, let it go. If it doesn't help you move beyond it. As Connemon states, our thoughts grossly over-exaggerated. that reality on the ground. So let that framework

emphasize your passion, your strength and your dreams, not the inverse. What we focus on, we get. So believe in yourself with such conviction that those around you look on

and wonder what gave you the right to see those things? What made you think it was okay to believe in that which you believe. You never got a permission slip in the mail. You never stumbled upon a permit that granted you access to the good things in life.

No, you just came to understand the game and how it's played. You came to see that we have options, the option to find the bad and the option to find the good. The choice to see why you can't and the choice to see why you will. That's what will separate you from both your past self

and those looking on from afar. See, change is never a product of magic as people seem to think. No, most often, it's taking on the challenge of seeing what is not yet there. Stepping into the arena with possibility, with the upside. So today, see it. Focus on it, lock it in, and don't let go.

With everything you have, all that's within you, don't let go. For everything tomorrow can be, for everything you have always been, don't let go. What's up, guys, Eddie here. And before we jump into the next chapter, just a quick note. So, as many of you know, every single video that I've ever put on this channel has been created with the intent of building momentum in your life. If you want something physical to anchor that momentum, we've created the brand AGNS, or always grateful, never satisfied for that exact reason. Athletic apparel that embodies the very ideas and concepts I talk about every day. Because you're watching on YouTube or Spotify, we've created a code for this exclusive community.

You can use that on the website, agns. Lifestyle. We're right under this video on YouTube. All this stuff is there in the shop. Again, code YWW20 gets you 20% off the entire store. It's a great way to support the channel and also elevate your journey. Let it be a reminder to keep showing up. Appreciate your time. Always grateful, never satisfied.

On to the next. I hope you find the courage to make me. mistakes, to fall on your face, to break things and put them back together. I hope you find the strength to move forward without knowing. A feat that is simultaneously one of the most challenging things to do in life, but also one of the most rewarding. It's perhaps my greatest adversary, reinvention, knowing that, yeah, your time has run its course, understanding that it's time to break and build again, but being so deeply terrified to let go.

What if things don't work out? What if I lose? What if I'm worse off than I was right now because of my ambition, my self-belief, my hope for tomorrow better than tomorrow, What if it all goes down in flames? Someone once said to me that one of our biggest misunderstandings or misconceptions is that what we've done in the past holds all our value. We can't walk away from what we've made.

It's who we are. The mind says it's tied to our identity when, you know, truth be told. What we've done in the past is meaningless. It's symbolic. It's a mirage. It's not tied to potential or upside or what's next. Your value is not in what you've made. It's in your ability to build again. What truly shines is the warrior you've been cultivating day by day. Lesson by lesson by lesson, the one who stares back at you when you look in the mirror. In fact, you eventually come to learn that what you've built, believe it or not, is an ankle weight, a false sense of security keeping you from living life. Because life is meant to be

messy. Oh, it's meant to be explored. We're not made of glass, because unlike glass, we are supposed to fall apart. Unlike glass, our greatness is not transparent. It's a culmination of courageous decisions and educated risk. It's the result of knowing that things might not work out. But those odds are better than definitely won't work out. Which, by the way, is what happens if you stay where you are. If you want to stand there and defend the status quo, if you want to stand there and defend the status quo, if you want to lay down and die on the hill of mediocrity, do it. No one's stopping you, but you'll have to be okay knowing you took your winning lottery ticket, placed it in a drawer on your desk, and you never cashed it in. That's the thing about potential. It can mean everything and it can mean.

There's an old idea that people will always choose the devil they know, over the one they don't. Because the devil they know, aside from being familiar, is private. It's a silent pain. The devil you know is, I could have, but I didn't. The devil you don't know, on the other hand,

it's a totally different ballgame. That can be a public extravaganza. That could be a ship syncinge. in broad daylight. If you try and you fail, you may fail spectacularly. And by the way, to the pure joy of onlookers and your critics, what a special little hell that would be. But what if that special little hell

was the door you had to walk through? And look, in so many ways, I'm a pragmatist. I'm not suggesting you give yourself a little pep talk in the mirror and then go solo climb El Capitan. But what if you understood the game? What if it clicked? And you realize that protecting the past meant a fraction of what it means to find the courage to fail. Daily, micro failures, small lessons. What if you started to build an immunity to hitting the ground?

ground? What if you realize that people are going to say good things and bad things about you? And they'll do both whether you try or not, whether you extend yourself or not, whether you shoot or not. And there's pain, oh, there's pain whether you go or stay. So you might as well feel the pain of progress. There's risk associated with being here and leaving for there. But leaving has an exponentially greater upside, and so why not go? Why not find within you the courage to fail, to depersonalized, scrape knees in a bruised ego?

Because reinvention requires leaving the good in pursuit of the great and you. You are worthy of greatness. You are worthy of more. Yeah, for you. But lift your head up. Because it's also for those who mean the most to you. It's for the souls you will inspire along the way.

And I know how daunting the task feels. Not only the unknown circumstance waiting outside, but the possibility of losing what you have now, I swear to you, I resign. with that more deeply than you could imagine, but it's time. Right now it's time to go. It's time to take some ls so that you can use them as stepping stones. And man, I hope you find the courage to make mistakes. To fall on your face, to break things and build them again. I hope you find the strength to move forward without knowing. that is simultaneously one of the most difficult things to do in life and most rewarding.

Because in a life that is finite, one comprised of setting suns and ticking clocks, I promise you, you have much more to gain. At first, there was just silence. Not peace, but the kind of silence that's just silence that's. kind of silence that swallows you. That echoes the question you've been too afraid to ask. How did I get here? I woke up in the woods.

No trail, no map, no signal, only questions in a never-ending sea of pine. There's something utterly terrifying about being alone. Not physically, but emotional. Existentially. It's not the wilderness that breaks you. No, it's what the wilderness reveals. It shows you everything you've been running from. You start to see the fears you've buried,

the questions you've ignored, the truths you've traded for comfort. And that's when you meet the version of you you've been avoiding. The version of you that's not afraid to fall apart apart because he knows how to build himself again. You see, it's easy to talk purpose in a warm room. It's easy to say you're brave when you're not being tested. But out here, where it's quiet, where the sun takes its time, where the only sound is your own breath,

This is where real decisions are made. Not in front of a crowd. Not after the victory. When you're scared. When you're shaking. When there's no one to clap for you and no one to blame, that's when you choose. You choose whether to shrink back into the dark

or take one step forward into the light. You choose whether to shrink back into the dark. You choose. whether this is where the story ends or where it begins again. You're not lost. You're becoming. You're not broken. You're being forged.

This, this is the place where you trade panic for purpose. You trade running for rising. You trade fear for fire. And maybe, just maybe, you were never meant to be found until you found yourself here. So for those who are lost, good. It means you're no longer pretending. It means it's time to begin.

Every step you take is an investment. Every decision to do the difficult thing is a gift to your future self. Think about this for a second. One of the many things that makes being human so incredible is our ability to engage in delayed gratification. To do things now that will elevate us at a future time. And at a fundamental level, we understand that. We've heard the famous marshmallow study where kids were left alone in a room,

with the marshmallow placed in front of them, and the ones who showed restraint and could resist eating it ended up. in many regards being more successful as adults. We've all heard the mantras working hard pays off. That's valuable. But I'd like to take it a step further. Because when you say yes in the face of adversity, when you move forward when tired,

seek out a way amidst the chaos of life, you are contributing to a foundation so powerful that it will elevate you in ways outside your current level of awareness. By simply saying yes, when I was unsure and often fearful, by continuing to write and speak, I was unknowingly building these opportunities that would manifest years later, right? Many of which were not planned. They were not methodical.

My dedication and my North Star never changed. I held on tightly to those, but the surrounding components were always moving and transforming. People are in my life today because of steps I took five years ago. I know things about myself and my hopes and my dreams because of risks I took when I was, let's face it, too ignorant to understand their repercussions. But I knew it felt right. See, here's what I did understand.

If I, as Emerson put it, hitched my wagon to a star and moved towards it. When I felt great and when I didn't. When I was confident and when I wasn't, when I was winning and when I was not, I knew the other stuff would take care of itself. I trusted the process. And here's why that matters. Here's why I'm taking you all on a little trip down memory lane. Because writing, speaking, inspiring, storytelling, they are my world within. What is yours?

What is it that moves you? that lights up your soul. I want you to know that. I want you to know that because its pursuit requires not only a delayed gratification, but an acceptance that your dedication will evolve in ways so incredible that you can't even imagine. That all those little decisions become emergent

and together represent something more powerful than the sum of its parts. I love the example or idea of the huge, human brain, right? So complex and powerful that it appears almost divine. It's essentially a universe behind our eyes. Even our understanding, our comprehension is minimal. We are awed by its capability. Yet it's not about one single piece of the brain, the tissues or the neurons individually. It's the network all these microscopic occurrences create together. Something big. bigger than everything combined, creating a consciousness we can't even find or point to when

looking at the evidence. But we know it exists and we know it's somehow derived from this ball of nervous tissue. This is not unlike one's pursuit of excellence. The level of achievement or consciousness we are searching for. It can't be singularly identified. It's emergent. It materializes after the discipline, after the concealing. the consistent work, after the self-belief, after the will to do what is required, whether

we wanted to in the moment or we didn't. Then we get our quote, unquote, consciousness. You can't and won't always see the value in your dedication, in your sacrifice. And let me level with you. I get how crazy it feels to think, yeah, but someday it will mean something. Someday that work will put people in my life that will change my world, elevate my existence. It will create opportunities that expedite my evolution, lessons and occurrences that will amplify my wisdom and worldview. But that's the name of the game. If you know in your heart you are pointed to the right star, then it's just about stepping, adjusting, and repeating. Move, adjust, move, adjust, move, adjust, move, There will be a time when you look over your shoulder and are stunned by what you've created,

by the distance you've traveled. Look, you can't see the future. You can't know what everything will mean and what will occur, but you can continue forward into the darkness so that when the long-awaited light inevitably presents itself, you are in position to receive it. To stand on the foundation you have been building all along.